PLAISTOW — Joe Curto is heartbroken after someone shot and killed his dog while she was outside his family's business Tuesday afternoon.

"She was a great dog. She did everything with me. This dog went everywhere," said the 21-year-old, who was 12 when his parents gave him a 9-week-old German shepherd mix puppy.

Jaycee was killed just before 1 p.m. Tuesday near USA 1 Motors at 39 Westville Road, where the dog spent her days hanging out while Curto and his family worked.

"Everyone knew she was a good dog, and they're all sad about it," said Curto.

Jaycee never wandered far from the business when she was let outside, Curto said. She was afraid of the trains on the tracks directly behind the business. Curto and his mother, Maureen Mahoney, were at work Tuesday and became concerned when they noticed that Jaycee hadn't returned about 15 minutes after being let outside. They quickly went outside to check on her.

"I called her and she didn't come. He called her and she didn't come. That was not like her," Mahoney said,

Curto and Mahoney approached the railroad tracks, and moments later found the dog on the ground, less than 20 feet from their shop.

They quickly realized she had suffered a single gunshot wound to her hind quarter.

Curto and his mother tried to resuscitate her, but were unsuccessful.

"My mom picked her up and her stomach just felt like there was nothing there," Curto said.